Archive for the 'Mayhem Festival' Tag Under 'Soundcheck' Category

Arctic Monkeys: Yes, they did co-headline the Hollywood Bowl last year with TV on the Radio, and the Brits, led by Alex Turner (above), finally have bona fide American radio hits, more than one from AM, their best-selling record stateside since their 2006 debut.

But it’s still a big leap from the Wiltern (where they played when the album came out) to the cavernous Staples Center, where the festival-seasoned quartet will headline Aug. 7. Major bonus: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club opens, $29.50-$59.50.

Also catch that pairing Aug. 6 at San Diego State’s Open Air Theatre, $19.50-$59.50. Both dates go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, April 4.

Mayhem Festival: Two O.C. titans, Avenged Sevenfold and Korn, have been tapped to co-headline this year’s monstrous day of metal, July 5 at San Manuel Amphitheater in Devore. The rest of the bill is a who’s-who of modern favorites: Asking Alexandria, Trivium, Suicide Silence (carrying on after the November 2012 death of frontman Mitch Lucker), Emmure, Miss May I, Mushroomhead.

A few extra Coachella-related shows had already snuck out, like Bryan Ferry’s April 15 performance at Club Nokia. But now organizer Goldenvoice has revealed the remainder of its slate of Indio attractions that will make smaller appearances throughout Southern California before, between and after the festival.

It’s broken down in three weeks of on-sales, with this Friday’s the biggest batch by far.

That includes the Afghan Whigs at Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown on April 9, $30; Motörhead (fronted by Lemmy, above center) at Club Nokia on April 11, $36.50-$46.50; Bonobo, April 15 at the Glass House, $23; Temples with Drowners, April 15 at the Roxy, $15; Bombay Bicycle Club with Bear Hands and Royal Canoe, April 15, $29.50; the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, April 16 at the Echo, price unavailable; City and Colour with James Vincent McMorrow, April 17 at the Fox Theater in Pomona, $29.50; Mogwai with Majeure, April 17 at El Rey Theatre, $30; Neko Case (left) with the Dodos, April 17 at the Orpheum Theatre, $35; Adventure Club with Headhunterz, April 17 at Club Nokia, $25-$40; Dum Dum Girls, April 17 at the Roxy, $17; and Zoé, April 18 at the Glass House, $25-$30.

The Observatory in Santa Ana also scored a clutch of Localchella gigs, presented as separate-ticket doubleheaders. On April 15, Cage the Elephant command the main stage, with Juliette Lewis opening ($25), while Future Islands will play the Constellation Room ($15). On April 17, Crosses will take over in the larger hall ($25) and Temples and Drowners will appear in Constellation ($15).

With all the rowdy, loud, gratuitous debauchery that took place at the annual Mayhem Festival kickoff Saturday at San Manuel Amphitheater, it was only fitting that it was also hot as hell.

As temperatures climbed, peaking at 115 at about 4:30, hardcore fans still toughed it out in sweaty black band T-shirts, finding refuge in what little shade was available or bulldozing through the heat, joining thousands of other smoldering patrons in one of many dusty mosh pits. By the time the main stage opened at 6, there was at least shade over the first tier of seats, so scores of attendees left the side stages and to get a break from the sun.

Come nightfall, however, the air heated up again, as headliner Rob Zombie blasted the crowd with elaborate pyrotechnics.

This year's Revolver Golden God honoree proved he was worthy of that title here, as he and his strongest crew of players – guitarist John 5, drummer Ginger Fish and bassist Piggy D. – fired through a good mix of hits plus four cuts off Zombie's latest, April's "Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor." The props and video imagery for the new material fit well alongside more well-known tracks like "Superbeast" and White Zombie's "More Human Than Human."

The 'Lords of Salem' director in full regalia, September 2010. Photo: Kelly A. Swift, for the Register

Mayhem Festival: Last year it was Slipknot and Slayer. This time, for Rockstar Energy Drink’s sixth annual metal bonanza, Rob Zombie will cap the main stage, along with sets from Five Finger Death Punch and one of today’s most invigorating heavy bands, Mastodon.

Also in the mix: Amon Amarth, Machine Head, Children of Bodom, Behemoth, Job for a Cowboy, Emmure and more. As typically happens, the tour kicks off at San Manuel Amphitheater in Devore, on June 29. Tickets, $20.50-$63, go on sale Friday, March 22, at noon.

Dave Matthews Band: A reminder that the group’s two Southern California stops – Sept. 6 at Sleep Train (formerly Cricket Wireless) Amphitheatre in Chula Vista and Sept. 7 at Irvine’s Verizon Wireless Amphitheater – become available Friday at 10 a.m. Prices for both top out at $75 with the low end at roughly $40, before service fees. Great addition: acclaimed blues-rock guitar whiz Gary Clark Jr. will open.

Next to last year's Big 4 bash in Indio – which for the first time in forever on the West Coast pulled together Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer and Metallica on the same grounds as Coachella – this year's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival lineup is easily one of heavy metal's most powerful bills to ever land in Southern California.

The touring event's kickoff at Devore's San Manuel Amphitheater, including performances from two of those four, Anthrax and Slayer, plus impressive turns from Motörhead, Slipknot and a slew of upstarts – proved as much with more than 10 hours of music, motocross and, of course, mayhem.

Yet for the first part of the day, that chaos was fairly controlled. Early-bird acts (starting at 1 p.m.) like As I Lay Dying and Asking Alexandria incited some sizable circle pits, though nothing compared to the teeming masses – moshing in what looked like an infinitely expanding radius – that turned out for Anthrax, who headlined the afternoon fare on the smaller Jägermeister stage situated at the top of the venue's grassy hill.

Only problem with that stage: the vocal volume was never high enough. I could hear high-pitched guitar licks and pounding drums from 200 feet out, but all the words were muffled from my vantage point. One exception: “Antisocial,” an English-sung cover (released on Anthrax's 1988 album State of Euphoria) originally recorded by French metal band Trust, which rose to thundering volume thanks to thousands of old-school thrash fans eager to relive their glory days.

• Steely Dan -- The “Jazz-Rock Ambassadors to the Galaxy,” as Donald Fagen and Walter Becker have dubbed themselves recently, are back again for a two-night stand at the Greek Theatre this weekend. Tonight, July 8, the Hall of Famers and their 11-member Miles High Big Band will perform the 1977 classic Aja in its entirety, plus other hits. Saturday night, however, could be a wild one, as the group's set list will have been determined by online fan voting. Deep cuts should abound. Acclaimed jazz star Sam Yahel opens both shows at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $50-$125, or $63.45-$144.55 including service fees. The Greek is located at 2701 N. Vermont Ave., nestled into Griffith Park. 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com or nederlander.com for more information.

• Mayhem Festival 2011 -- Disturbed, Godsmack and a one-off appearance from the Metalocalypse outfit Dethlok top the bill for Rockstar Energy Drink's annual head-banging bacchanal, Saturday at San Manuel Amphitheater, 2575 Glen Helen Parkway, in Devore. Also expected to perform are Machine Head, Testament, Trivium, Suicide Silence, All Shall Perish, Unearth, Kingdom of Sorrow and more. Tickets range from $20 for lawn access to $55.25 for a pit wristband, though service fees will tack on another $13-$20 per ducat. The event starts at 2:15 p.m. 800-745-3000, livenation.com or rockstarmayhemfest.com for more details.

• J.D. Souther -- One of the Eagles' chief collaborators -- among other classics from the band, he helped bring “Heartache Tonight,” “Best of My Love” and “New Kid in Town” to life -- returns Wednesday to play the Coach House, 33157 Camino Capistrano, in San Juan Capistrano. Cathy-Anne McClintock opens. Tickets are $20. Also at the venue this week: Beatles tribute Abbey Road, with Third Rail Blue, tonight, $15; '70s cult favorite Honk, with the Phil Vandermost Band and Missiles of October, Saturday, $25; and guitarist Ottmar Liebert, Thursday, $30. 949-496-8930. thecoachhouse.com, ticketfly.com

• Reel Big Fish & Streetlight Manifesto -- O.C.'s longest-running ska-rock band has teamed with a counterpart from New Jersey for a pair of shows next week: Tuesday night at City National Grove of Anaheim, 2200 E. Katella Ave., $20; and Thursday night at Club Nokia, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., in the L.A. Live complex, $16.50-$21.50. Rodeo Ruby Love and the Maxies will open. Similarly, Starpool (which is more or less Save Ferris without Monique Powell) will perform alongside another veteran local act, Suburban Legends, Saturday night at House of Blues Anaheim, 1530 S. Disneyland Drive. We Are the Arsenal, HB Surround Sound and Save the Swim Team will open. Those tickets are $12.50 in advance, $15 day of show. 714-712-2700, citynationalgroveofanaheim.com or ticketmaster.com. 714-778-2583, hob.com or livenation.com.

• Saúl Hernández -- His performances tonight at House of Blues Anaheim and Sunday at the same-named venue in San Diego have been postponed, but the frontman for two of Mexico City's biggest rock bands, Jaguares and the briefly reunited Caifanes, still has a show Saturday night at Club Nokia, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., in the downtown L.A. Live complex. Tickets are $26.50-$51.50. Also in Latin music: Los Tucanes de Tijuana returns Saturday to Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal CityWalk, $24.75-$99.75. 800-745-3000. ticketmaster.com.

August 13th, 2010, 2:48 am by KELLI SKYE FADROSKI, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Life is good in 2010 for Ozzy Osbourne. The 61-year-old metal god released his biography, I Am Ozzy, in January and dropped a new disc, Scream, his 10th solo studio album, in June. Now he's gearing up for this summer's Ozzfest, which kicks off Saturday at San Manuel Amphitheater (formerly Hyundai Pavilion) in Devore.

Economic circumstances and the rise of other touring metal fests -- like the just-passed Mayhem Festival (with Korn and Rob Zombie) and the coming Uproar Festival, with Disturbed and Avenged Sevenfold -- may have knocked some of the wind out of Ozzfest's sails. The tour only has six U.S. stops planned, but Osbourne couldn't be more optimistic.

He immediately gushed about co-headliners Mötley Crüe in a recent phone interview: “It's a pleasure to work with those guys. That tour (we did) in 1984, they should have called it The (Bleepin') Most Deadly, Dangerous Tour. People ask me: ‘So did you really snort a line of ants?' I really can't remember.”

Since Osbourne was wrapped up in writing his biography and working on a new album in 2009, he and wife Sharon -- the America's Got Talent judge who still coordinates Ozzfest, along with their son Jack -- decided to take a year off from the tour. In 2008, Ozzfest was just one date in Dallas, with Metallica.

“We had a great run with Ozzfest so far,” he says. “Sharon (wanted to do Ozzfest this year and) I said, ‘Don't go out and do 1,000 shows or whatever.' She says, ‘OK. We'll just do a few and if it takes off, we're going to carry on, and if it doesn't, we'll say goodnight, you know?' I'll be sad to see the end of it, but again I've always said if the audience isn't there and they don't wanna hear it, then I have to be real.

July 11th, 2010, 2:12 pm by KELLI SKYE FADROSKI, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

It was a hot, sweaty Saturday in San Bernardino County but it was definitely a day for Southern California metalheads to let loose as the third annual Mayhem Festival kicked off at San Manuel Amphitheater in Devore with an impressive draw for such stagnant times for the concert industry. By 5 p.m. promoters were beaming with pride, happily answering “just over 20,000” to anyone who asked what the attendance was.

“I talked to production and they said sales of this tour were up 60 percent,” Randy Blythe, vocalist for main-stage act Lamb of God, told the crowd after a pounding performance of “Set to Fail.” “That tells me the people want to hear real music … not Top 40 bulls***.”

With two side stages located adjacent to the actual amphitheater, bands got mosh pits started early, even though Ticketmaster.com and even the physical tickets themselves listed the start time incorrectly -- they had it at 2:30 p.m. when Winds of Plague went on at 1:50 and Sangre followed at 2:20. Their music could be heard from the parking lot, but by the time many made it inside, Canadian metal act 3 Inches of Blood was already on stage, with a dusty circle pit forming instantly for the group's song “Trial of Champions.”

Hatebreed was also welcomed with open arms as dynamic vocalist Jamey Jasta encouraged the largest circle pit in front of the side stages. Likewise, Orange County's own Atreyu were well-received, sailing through tracks like “Right Side of the Bed,” “Ravenous” and “Deanne the Arsonist” despite a motocross stunt show happening immediately to their right.

Five Finger Death Punch played the side stage at the inaugural Mayhem Fest in 2008, so the rising group was proud to announce to everyone that it had finally clawed its way to opening the main stage this time out. “We could not have done it without every single (bleepin') one of you,” vocalist Ivan Moody shouted to fans.